Jon Cook’s yellow brick road: AI, agency reinvention and a Kansan in line for WPP’s top job

“Everyone remembers the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion and the Scarecrow – heart, courage, brains,” he says. “But Dorothy was home. That’s what we try to be.”

It’s not just a stage line. VML, the agency Cook has helped turn into a global network, still runs out of Kansas City, in the general region where the Wizard of Oz was set. He still lives there. Still sounds like it. And while the business spans continents and clients, from Ford to Coca-Cola, Cook’s take is that success isn’t defined by where you are. It’s defined by who you are.

“There was a time when we tried to bring Kansas City to the world,” he says. “Now, we just try to respect where people are from. We’re not New York-first or London-first. We’re human-first.”

That mantra, human-first, comes up a lot. It shapes how Cook talks about culture, about technology and especially about AI.

“AI’s not a trend. It’s the backdrop now. But the next six months will be about separation. Who’s using it for real impact? Who’s still in demo mode? The talk tracks have all sounded the same. The rubber’s about to hit the road.”

Cook says AI is forcing the industry into a phase of simplification – and that it’s long overdue.

“You’re going to see holding companies, networks, even clients make big moves to simplify – structures, staffing, everything. It’s not just about efficiency. It’s about clarity.”

VML has already been through that fire. After merging with Wunderman Thompson 18 months ago, it has emerged streamlined, integrated and arguably WPP’s strongest agency brand.

“Mergers are easy to announce,” he says. “Doing them right is a whole other thing. You’ve got to protect your culture, align your leadership and keep moving. That’s hard. But we did it.”

It has paid off. VML’s work now stretches from Cannes Lions Grand Prix-winning creativity for KitKat to deep platform work with Nestlé and Ford. One standout example? ‘Supportbelt,’ a product innovation from Ford co-developed with a VML creative undergoing breast cancer treatment. The idea? An open-sourced padded seatbelt for survivors. It wasn’t just functional, it was personal.

“That one means a lot,” says Cook. “It’s a product idea, a technology idea – but it’s really a human idea. And that’s the whole point.”

The agency’s human-first model blends brand, customer experience and commerce under one roof – a structure that Cook says is less about jargon and more about staying relevant.

“Our goal isn’t to be the most awarded agency. It’s to be the most relevant. If you’re relevant to people, the rest follows.”

Still, this Cannes isn’t just about showing off VML’s latest work. There’s another subplot in the air: WPP boss Mark Read is on his way out and many now see Cook as the obvious internal contender.

His supporters would say he led one of WPP’s most successful integrations. He has retained talent and built a culture. He has scaled globally without shedding the agency’s soul. And he’s proof that the best businesses don’t need to be run out of Manhattan or Mayfair. They can come from the middle of the map and still make it to the top of the world.

“I think that’s what Kansas taught us,” he says. “Appreciation. Gratitude. Don’t take your clients or your people for granted. And don’t forget the reason you got into the business in the first place.”

As for what’s next, Cook is urging CMOs to see 2026 for what it really is: a rare chance to reset.

“You’ve got the US World Cup, the midterms and the country’s 250th birthday. All in five months. That’s not just noise. That’s an opportunity.”

His advice? Treat it like a reunion.

“If your brand is a friend and you haven’t seen each other in a while, how do you reintroduce yourself? What’s changed? What still matters? That’s the mindset CMOs should be in.”

Like Dorothy, Cook’s been to the Emerald City and back. But he’s never lost sight of what home means – or how powerful it is to build a business that feels like one.